1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method and system for servicing a wireless communication network in general, and in particular to a method and system for servicing a mobile telephone communication network. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an enhanced method and system for programming a mobile telephone over the air within a mobile telephone communication network.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A mobile telephone communication network is an integrated network comprising a land-based wireline telephone network and a composite wired-wireless network. The land-based wireline network is the traditional telephone system in which each telephone subscriber is connected to a central switching network, commonly known as the public switched telephone network (PSTN), capable of handling thousands of simultaneous telephone calls. The composite wire-wireless network is the basis of today's mobile telephone communication network. The heart of the composite wire-wireless network is a wireless-specific switch, which is generally known as a mobile switching center (MSC), derived from PSTN switches by adding several functions that are pertinent to the mobile telephone communication network. Along with the MSC, a base station controller (BSC) is utilized to control base stations located at different convenient sites within the mobile telephone communication network. The coverage of each base station varies from less than a kilometer to several kilometers, depending on the propagation environment and traffic density.
A mobile telephone communication network is designed to serve mobile telephone subscribers within a given geographic area, known as a metropolitan service area (MSA). A typical mobile telephone communication network has the capacity to serve thousands of mobile telephone subscribers within a large MSA. Mobile telephone subscribers are expected to subscribe services from a mobile telephone service provider for services within a specific MSA. When the mobile telephone subscriber operates within its subscribed MSA, the mobile telephone subscriber is referred to as a home mobile, while outside of its subscribed MSA the mobile telephone subscriber is referred to as a roamer.
The first objective of a mobile telephone service is to provide dial access between home mobiles and any other telephones (landing or mobile) reached through the PSTN. The second objective of the mobile telephone service is to provide access to and from roamers. In order to satisfy both of the above-mentioned objectives, it is essential for the subscriber's mobile telephone to have a standard 10-digit telephone number, including a three-digit area code plus a seven-digit directory number. A 34-bit binary mobile identification number (MIN), which may sometimes be derived from the 10-digit telephone number, identifies an individual mobile telephone subscriber within the mobile telephone communication network.
For calls originated by a mobile telephone subscriber, the mobile telephone communication network not only needs the dialed digits but also requires the originating mobile telephone subscriber's identification. Such identification, including the MIN, is stored in a number assignment module (NAM), which is part of the mobile telephone. Under the prior art, the NAM is programmed by a mobile telephone service provider when the mobile telephone subscriber initially subscribes for service. Once the NAM has been programmed, the mobile telephone must be physically brought back to the original service provider for a new service provider) in order to change the information within the NAM.
With the advent of the Over-the-Air Service provisioning (OTASP), a mobile telephone subscriber is provided with more flexibility. As the term "over-the-air service" implies, OTASP allows some of the operating parameters within a mobile telephone to be changed by a mobile telephone communication network over the air via an over-the-air function/customer service center (OTAF/CSC). Nevertheless, once a mobile telephone has been initially programmed, the OTAF/CSC still has no convenient way of knowing the capability of the mobile telephone that is in use, such as whether the mobile telephone supports cellular or personal communication service, dual-band or single band, analog or digital, etc. This information is essential for the OTAF/CSC to determine which preferred roaming list (PRL) and NAM indicator block are to be constructed and downloaded to the requesting mobile telephone in addition, when a mobile telephone is to be activated for additional service, the OTAF/CSC again has no convenient way of knowing which service options the mobile telephone may support. This service options information is critical for allowing the OTAF/CSC to initiate appropriate provisioning of the mobile telephone in a home locate register (HLR), when the mobile telephone subscriber wishes to subscribe to some special services such as short message services (SMS). Consequently, it is desirable to provide an improved method for programming a mobile telephone over the air within a mobile telephone communication network.